


Aftermath of the Dragon

by Kara_Eclipse



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 14:03:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7364296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kara_Eclipse/pseuds/Kara_Eclipse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maglor relives some of what he saw returning to the Gap after Glarung's attack, and Maedhros tries to comfort him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath of the Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> There is mention of people having been burned to death so if that bothers you please don't read this.

Maglor fought a bubble of hysteria as Maedhros’ ministral sang a dwarvish song about a great battle in a land on fire. He had trained Glaerwen himself, and taught her to draw on the songs of as many people around her as she possibly could. Usually it served her well, and he enjoyed hearing her performances. Yet this time… this time it was all he could do to not scream and bolt from the room. It was only the reassuring weight of Maedhros’ hand on his wrist and the weight of his brother’s gaze that helped him stay calm and in his seat for the duration of the song.

Even with that the second he could, while still being polite, Maglor was up and out of the room. Somehow he managed to keep from running out of the room, but once the doors closed behind him he bolted down the hall. Once he reached Maedhros’ office he flung the door open and locked it behind him. The only person who could get into the office with the door locked was his brother and he was sure that Maedhros would allow him some time to calm himself.

The song twisted hauntingly through his mind, and he stifled a sob. Oh the song and its listeners had no idea. No idea at all of what they were describing. He could easily remember the horror of crossing once lush and green fields that were charred and blackened, rendered lifeless by dragon’s fire. The charred blobs of what had once been stone buildings melted and deformed beyond recognition by the heat. Yet neither of those had been the worst of it. The worst and most horrifying thing had been the remains of bodies. As you were walking along you would hear a snap and look down to find that you had stepped on a bone, and had been walking across the ashes of someone burned to the point that all that was left was just that ash and bone. It was walking into the remains of a building hoping to find someone or something only to see a blackened and twisted corpse lying against the wall knowing that by the time they were going to leave and run that it had been far too late.

The knowledge of his failure to his people and lands and his brothers to everyone that depended on him holding those lands was crushing. It left him gasping for air, and tears ran down his cheeks leaving hot streaks where he remembered blistering burns. A warm arm wrapped around his shoulders pulling him against a broad chest. He continued gasping for breath fighting the need to scream and rant and beg for forgiveness that he had already been given. Maedhros had worked with him many times since the events had happened yet he still fell apart like this for seemingly no reason. A sharp stinging pain jolted him back to reality and he numbly raised his hand to his cheek.

“Are you with me again ‘Laurë?” Maedhros asked lowly. Maglor nodded slowly not actually sure that he really was, but he could breathe and think again so it was likely that he was. Maedhros pulled him against him again. “It’s all right. You did everything you could you know that.”

“Yes, I know that so why is every single time I fall apart over this you have to put me back together?! It isn’t fair to you. You shouldn’t have to worry about how I will handle everything.” Maglor stated sickened by himself. He was tired of always having to try to keep himself from panicking when he saw a flame he wasn’t expecting, or hearing about glorious battles against dragons, or the smell of flesh burning. 

“When I was always needing your help to make it through the day I asked you the same thing, do you remember that?” Maedhros asked gently. He waited for Maglor to nod before continuing. “Do you remember what you told me?”

“It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to get better, it could be tomorrow or a thousand years from now, it could even never happen. I don’t care. You are my brother, and I love you. So I will keep helping you, I will stay by your side, and I am going to let you rage and cry and scream until you are able to go on without my help. Even then I will always be here for you.” Maglor recited his own words. As he did so he understood. Maedhros knew that this was something that he may never get over, after all Maglor had lost track of how many times he got up and ran to his brother’s room to soothe him after a nightmare, and even knowing that he was still there. “Thank you.”

“Any time you need it I’ll be here to remind you of that songbird. You should know that by now.”


End file.
